Paracord Bracelet

The other night I was harassed by a cop for wearing a paracord bracelet. Taunts of "What do you need that for?" And "Are you afraid you'll get lost here in McDonalds?" etc. Later this fine officer of the law stopped me while walking home and made it a felony type stop. Two more officers showed up to render assistance.
I'm not going to get into the survivalism thing and how people look for telltale signs of such activity. I now sport one on each wrist and one on my ankle in case Officer Friendly ever stops me again and frisks me. Probably childish to add fuel to his fire, I realize this, but everyone needs a hobby.
The incident got me to thinking, How could I carry at leat minimal gear on my wrist without drawing undue attention?
My solution was quickly arrived at and uses up those shot bits of paracord left over from projects like bracelets etc.

First remove the inner strands which would be useles anyway, and tie one end in one of those decorative knots I can never figure out how to duplicate despite a hundred Youtube videos. Next you'll need a straw, preferably a clear one, that you can force inside the outer sheath. We all know how to burn the ends closed but for this project I would suggest a heated curved forcep. This should make insertion and withdarawal easie. Now I had thought of one long compartment straw like in the Wazoo bracelet but considering the curve of the wrist on the sides this could cause weakness and breaking if the straw, so I'm thinking of making mini compartments with the forcep. My design include waterproofed paper matches, not wooden and a striker, monofiliment, a small fish hook, split shot, petro balls, perhaps a micro firesteel and striker, water purification tablets, personal meds, triple antibiotic, salt and whatever can be made to fit. Insert and tie a small loop in the other end.
This design is very thin and hopefully discreet unlike the standard bracelet. It could even be worn next to the watch for further camouflauge.
I'm looking for opinions and suggestions on this project before attempting it. What have I missed or not included in it? Strengths or weaknesses?

Thanks in advance.

 

Maybe consult an attorney. If all you did was wear a paracord bracelet, that was pretty unusual harassment from a police officer. They sell them all over in stores. Just doesn't sound right to me.

 

Small town here. Think I've only seen two other people wearing them, and I know one guy was visiting from another state. Cops here are a special breed. When no one else will employ them they come here. Surprisingly it's the younger ones that are easiest to deal with. Maybe he was having a bad day, I dunno. But complaining about a cop here does no good. The chief simply takes the report and apparently round files it. But hey, everything can be a learning experience. Thank you both for the support. Do either of you have any ideas on my single strand theory?

 

If you build it...they will come.
I'd suggest OPEN CARRY if it's legal in your state and fashion your custom paracord accessory onto your holster.
That'll give'm something to think aboot....
though not exactly good OPSEC.

 

Lol. Yes we have open carry here but they will automaticly stop, disarm, restrain and detain you you in the back of a unit as at least six others show up as back up. When you speak with the chief or mayor or address the city council about them violating our rights they trot out the Roswell shooting and even Sandy Hook, public safety and anything they can think of. You must remember a cop here shot a suspect in the back of the head and was exonerated. Just the other day a man was stealing electricity from his neighbor, ran an extention cord to his own home. One officer arrived and went into a raging fit like it was his home which had been violated, and three other officers arrive as the thief stood there offering no aggresision at all. Back in the 19900's the department was such a mess the fire department tried to invade and take over and the cops opened up on them. The governor sent in the national guard to take over.

 

Odd that they would harass you over a bracelet. But then peoples minds sometimes go from survivalist to crazy gun nut. Sadly that is how the media has continually portrayed preppers.

I do not wear paracord bracelets because they are too big but I do occasionally wear one around my ankle. But this is my key chain.

Works nicely and is quite a bit of paracord for just in case.

I also own one of these:


This also is a key chain. Note all the stuff inside. @Sand Spyder your post made me think of it. I cannot visualize what you are planning to make but disguise is good. I am very interested in what you are making.

 

I was in my chat room and one of my chatter told me to look on youtube for dirty and violent cops. I must say it's shocking what I found.

Thanks Motomom. If I go forward with the project I will try to post it. I've seen the grenades online but for some reason I cannot grasp the intricasies of weaving them. I am severely underweight and have girlish wrists so I have trouble finding bracelets to fit. Mine came from Walgreens a few years ago and need to be replaced. It is still a few inches too large for me. My ankle bracelt is the type with the whistle and fire steel buckle and I glued on a small compass. I'm thinking the survivalist thing is what he had in mind. As for crazy gun nut I do have a concealed carry permit but that night I had a few knives and hand weapons only. Despite a very thorough almost intimate search all he located was the big S&W HRT clipped to my pocket. Come to think of it the belt I wear is one of the old nylon woven types, like a very large bracelet but he didn't mention it at all.

 

Sounds like the belt would be more useful, longer cord, and more easily concealable.
While you are looking for items to stow in it, look into antibiotics, neosporin, salt, aspirin. Handcuff shim, sewing needles, strong bar magnet (attached to any ferris metal like the needle, and floated in water becomes a compass)
Or, you may want to go this route...Substratum hiking boots incorporate emergency fire-starting kit

 

I think I listed triple antibiotic, but I did forget needle and thread. Thanks kellory. I have a very tiny and suprisingly accurate compass, not sure I could fit it in a straw.

 

This all is pretty weird to me!

We manned a Vet Table today at a major chain store.

It was a fund raising effort where we were provided snacks and drinks as a give away by the store.

We had a donation jar on the table and also sold Paracord Bracelets.

We sold about 30 Paracord Bracelets and gave away a lot of coffee and snacks.
Not a single LEO made any mention about the Bracelets.

Time to move on from that town if it is that radical, staying where such a simple adornment may cause you grief is not in your best interest and a good survival reason to UNA$$ the area.

Just a simple and effective way to vote when all else fails, beat them feet and move on. Just a basic survival approach when you are outnumbered by idjuts.

 

My first question is why do YOU carry paracord for?

Some other ideas to carry it less noticeably... Just some as shoelaces is really unobtrusive. I know some folks like to take the inner strands out first, but I would suggest leaving them in. They ARE useful. And can give you at least eight times the length of the shoelace for cordage, or maybe more depending the type of paracord you use. I would use the inner strands and retain the sheath for your shoelace. That and a hank in your pocket can keep you out of that weird cop trouble in your neck of the woods.

I also carry some spider wire in my wallet and sometimes will whip my flashlight with some cordage. And a hangman's noose key fob are more than enough for day to day and possible emergency use. For me anyway.

 

@Sand Spyder:

It might be a good idea to write up the details of your harassment, then go down to the local court house and have your signature witnessed and notarized. Then pay a small fee and have your document entered into the public record. (Recorded).

Make sure your write-up describes your emotional response, and fears of future reprisals, stalking by that one particular cop, sexual harassment, etc. Be very cool and matter of fact about it. But get it done. Inevitably one of the Clerks will ask you why you want it in the public record, and then you drop The Bomb: Just say you think it may be part of an ongoing pattern of sexual harassment (which is what I think it was) and that this record will be important if it happens again and you have to sue the city.

Zero point oh-two seconds after you leave, the clerk will probably be on the phone to the Mayor or the Police Chief warning them that they had better leave you strictly alone if they want to keep their little red wagons from getting kicked over. End of problem.

And, if the problem doesn't end at that point, the existence of the record itself can be cited as a cause of further harassment when do sue the city. And win.

I know of a case where a guy was accused and jailed on a felony drug charge. The police then placed another prisoner in his cell. The next morning the guy got an appointment with his attorney and wrote up a document about how he thought the other prisoner was a paid snitch brought in to pretend to "hear his confession" and falsely so testify later on during trial. The Attorney then had the "predictive" document recorded in a different county. And produced it when the snitch was put on the stand. That not only busted the snitch, it made the prosecution look so bad that the case was dismissed. The guy actually was innocent--it was one of those guilt-by-association things, but they were going to railroad him SAS anyway.

Oh--and there's one other little gag you can use that will probably scare them silly: Make a formal complaint--one you know they intend to trash as soon as you leave, and then hand them a FOI request on all such complaints within the last year. They won't dare toss your complaint if they have to formally acknowledge receiving it. Plus you'll have data on all similar complaints, or the suspicious absence thereof. There are a lot of ways you can shake their tree. But the fundamental idea is "Nobody Slaps a Cactus."

 

You mentioned Roswell. Are you in New Mexico by any chance? If so, what city? Send me an private message if you don't want to mention it publicly...I still have a LOT of contacts in NM government and law enforcement who respect both our right to bear arms and our right to be different than the herd.

 

Hi HK-user. I'm assuming your cops there are semi-normal unlike what we have here. Like I said he may have just been having a bad day. Or he may just be another psycho cop who took me sitting there quietly as someone he could push around in order to prove his manhood. People don't realize it, but cops are basicly cowards. That's why four of them showed up over a man stealing electricity. And with their quasi Nazi uniforms, body armour, shiny badge and guns, (The cops here have a side aerm, back up, shotgun and assault rifle plus personal firearms and throwaways, not to mention impact and other weapons), they can live out their fantasies as someone with power. Hope you did well with your fund raiser and thank you for your service.

 

Sorry you feel that way, maybe you should do a "Ride Along" with LEOs in a different town ship so that you may truly experience their work day.

I have never meet a cop that was a coward.

I have meet a lot of over worked and dedicated police that are spit on by fools and cussed in regular day to day shift by drunks and fools.

 

Hi Hanzo. You lost me there. I proposed making a single strand bracelet, not a shoelace. I mainly wear the bracelet because I wanted one when I saw them. Nothing tactical or fear that it would be all I had if I had to flee the city before invading hordes of zombies or Russians. Just a fashion statement basicly. My design would be six to nine inches long so those tiny strands even tied together wouldn't be as useful as the gear carried in the sheath. And with them inside there would be no room for the starw. The monofiliment is the cordage and if the loss of less than sixty inches of paracor strands concerns the wearer it would be a simple matter to add the length to the mono or even replace it with spiderwire or the old braided fishing line, which I occasionly find at yard sales or flea markets but in very minimal quantities.

Excellent advice Uncle Morgan. Thanks. Gee I hope it wasn't sexual harassment since we're both male lol. I have made a written report in the past and the chief took it and said ok.I'll turn this over to the investigating officer. I said no, I want that notarized and I want a copy. He didnt like that but we walked over to city hall and got it done. I very cleary stated both in writing and verbally to him that the department had a history of beating prisoners and and suspects. Like the cop who's home was robbed and he dragged the suspec out of another cruiser and beat the man severely as other cops stood around watching. He was fired but not jailed for assault and that the cops here made fearful of my life and safety. He was a little taken aback but said that was before he became chief and not to worry, The law says they have to send finding of each complaint by certified mail. I never heard from them. When i ran into the chief I reminded him of this and he said he didn't know that and would look into it. I told him to look at the bottom of the complaint form where t clearly says so. So I did start a paper trail.

Hi Chimo. Yes I'm in New Mexico. Land of Entrapment at it's finest. I am currently composing a letter to Governor Susana Martinez. If the department isn't stopped it'll reach it's goal of becoming another Albuquerque where cops gun down someone every few weeks and never face charges. Never once here has a cop been charged in a shooting. Rarely in New Mexico are they chardged, even rarer is a conviction. I think it was in Roswell when a few years back a cop was killed. His partner pulled him out of the patrol unit after he was taken into custody and executed the man who was handcuffed. He was charged and prosecuted and found not guilty. SMH. The cops in this state kill with impunity but let one of them get killed and it's a travesty and there are donations and fund raisers for the fine upstanding officer.

 

Hi Tobit. Don't know what to tell you. This is a small town where the bad come to get a badge, The younger good ones get experience here and move on to the sheriffs department or Albuquerque. They cite better pay but one I spoke with said he just didn't like the enviroment.

 

Oh I know what they go through HK-user. I am never rude, loud or agressive to a cop. Always polite and at respectful or semi respectful depending on their attitude. I myself have only known one brave cop and he was crooked as a snake. He had a low key attitude and could calm a situation with no yelling or manhandling. And he had a lot of tricks to get someone arrested if need be,

Everyone is entitled to their opinion Tobit. The public records speak for themselves.